Some of you may know I was a journalist for a decade. I worked as a local news anchor, did some reporting, editing, and writing. Once news is in your blood, it never really leaves. That’s why I still watch a lot of news. Not because I want to punish myself. It’s just in me.
But I’ve always had a problem with how we in the media frame a story. How we decide to sell a story.
Exhibit A: Trump Threatening Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship
Let’s talk about what’s happening with President Donald Trump threatening Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship. I’ve been watching how the media is covering this and reading what’s being said online. I have a real problem with the way it’s being covered.
Every outlet seems to lead with "their feud." Clips of her on The View. Clips of him making crude jokes. Back-and-forth tweets.
But this isn’t a feud between two celebrities.
This is the President of the United States threatening to strip the citizenship of a private American citizen because she said something he didn’t like.
That’s not entertainment. That’s authoritarianism.
Where Is the Gravity?
The way this is being frame, with laughter, side commentary, and lightness, is deeply irresponsible.
This should be covered with urgency and alarm. This is a ten-bell fire. And instead, it’s being treated like a gossip segment.
Journalists should be on Capitol Hill asking senators directly:
What do you think about a President threatening a citizen’s status for speaking freely?
Do you support this kind of retaliation?
What are you prepared to do to stop it?
This is not about Rosie. This is about what happens when a President uses power to silence dissent. That’s dictatorship behavior.
It's Already Happening
People say, “Oh, he can’t actually do that.
But look around. ICE is already deporting people with green cards. Some have no criminal background. No due process. No clarity.
You think this won’t happen to naturalized citizens next?
And we’re not connecting the dots. Not in the media. Not in politics. But we should be.
This Is What 24-Hour News Was Built For
This isn’t a “lighten it up” story.
This is what 24-hour news was created to handle. Crises in real time. But the way this is being covered, it feels like just another episode. Another weird headline in the scroll.
And I get it. People are overwhelmed. But this isn’t the time to water it down.
The President threatening to revoke someone’s citizenship for exercising their First Amendment rights is not a joke.
It should shake us to our core.
Where Are the Follow-Up Questions?
I want to see follow-ups. I want to see persistence. I want to see accountability.
Ask members of Congress. Demand answers.
Because Trump didn’t just threaten Rosie. He regularly threatens entire groups of Americans. He recently said:
“I hate all Democrats.”
He didn’t say he disagrees with us. He said he hates us.
Half the country.
Let’s not forget what hate can lead to.
Media: Do Better
As a former journalist, I can’t explain how infuriating it is to see the trivialization of something so dangerous. I remember the newsroom conversations. The push to keep things light. To not get “too heavy.”
We’re past that.
We need the media to stand up. To connect the dots.
ICE deportations.
Citizenship threats.
Attacks on free speech.
Power being used for retaliation.
This is the story.
What You Need to Know
Even if people aren’t watching cable news, they’re still getting this tone through social media, podcasts, newsletters. The tone trickles down.
That’s why it matters how mainstream news outlets cover this. That’s why it matters if they tie these pieces together. That’s why we, independent writers, Substack creators, thinkers, are trying to tell the full story.
Because we are in a moment where rights are under threat. And no one should be silent about it.
Thank you for reading Qualified at the Intersection. Share this if it speaks to you. Ask your senators where they stand. And demand that the media start treating these threats with the seriousness they deserve.
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